“Aditya Dhar tapped Rakesh Bedi’s potential in Dhurandhar,” says Pavan Malhotra

Pavan Malhotra praised Aditya Dhar for casting Rakesh Bedi in Dhurandhar and said he was happy to see the veteran actor receive widespread acclaim.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

August 4, 2026 - 2:53 PM IST

Veteran actor Pavan Malhotra has praised filmmaker Aditya Dhar for casting Rakesh Bedi in the Dhurandhar franchise, saying the director recognised the veteran performer's talent despite having a star-studded ensemble.

“Aditya Dhar tapped Rakesh Bedi’s potential in Dhurandhar,” says Pavan Malhotra

Speaking to ANI, Pavan said he was delighted to see Rakesh Bedi receive widespread appreciation for his performance and revealed that he personally called the actor to congratulate him after the film's success.

“Aditya Dhar tapped Rakesh Bedi's potential”

During the interaction, Pavan first spoke about Aditya Dhar's versatility as a filmmaker, referring to projects such as Baramulla, Uri, Article 370 and the Dhurandhar franchise.

He then explained why he admired the director's conviction in casting Rakesh Bedi: "Aditya Dhar ki conviction dekhiye. Film mein star Ranveer (Singh) tha, Sanjay (Dutt) tha. Phir bhi unhe Rakesh Bedi chahiye tha us role ke liye. Aditya Dhar tapped Rakesh Bedi's potential in Dhurandhar."

Pavan added that he was genuinely happy to see the veteran actor enjoying a new wave of recognition and said he reached out to congratulate him.

Recalls their early days in Mumbai

The actor also looked back on his early years in Mumbai and shared that he and Rakesh Bedi once lived in the same residential building in Santacruz East: "David Dhawan, Rakesh Bedi and Raman Kumar used to live on the ground floor. Sudhir Mishra and I lived on the second floor."

Pavan further revealed that he had worked as an assistant director on the 1984 sitcom Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, in which Rakesh Bedi played one of the central characters.

Describing him as one of the nicest people he has met, Pavan said he has always admired the actor both professionally and personally.

Rakesh Bedi's journey to success

Long before becoming a familiar face on television and in films, Rakesh Bedi had a very different career path planned for him.

Raised in Delhi's Karol Bagh, he grew up in a middle-class family where pursuing engineering was seen as the natural choice. He even appeared for the IIT entrance examination but reportedly attempted only seven of the 39 questions before leaving midway to attend a theatre rehearsal.

Choosing acting over a conventional career came with financial struggles, but Bedi remained committed to his craft. In an earlier interview, he reflected on those years, saying: "I trusted the process even when the rewards were slow."

He later trained at the Film and Television Institute of India and went on to build a career spanning more than 150 films along with several memorable television shows.

Also Read: Pavan Malhotra defends Dhurandhar, says those who disagree should “come forward and challenge it”